Never too late to hone your craft

Thursday

Mar 7, 2013 at 2:49 PM

Local fishermen have a great chance in coming weeks to learn about how to hone their skills and make their profession more profitable.

Local fishermen have a great chance in coming weeks to learn about how to hone their skills and make their profession more profitable.It is a lesson all of us could use — no matter what our chosen profession is.The Louisiana Direct Seafood Academy is sponsored by the Louisiana Sea Grant and the LSU AgCenter. The workshops are designed to give professional fishermen insight into marketing, product quality, safety and business.The overall goal, a worthwhile one, is to make these fishermen more effective at what they do.“What we’re trying to do is increase professionalism and quality so that we can get a better price for seafood,” said Alan Matherne with Louisiana Sea Grant.That is a noble goal that should work out well for all of south Louisiana.The seafood industries are more than just quaint throwbacks to past generations when huge numbers of south Louisianans made their livings on the water, pulling nets and working oyster beds.They are vital parts of the overall economy, and they are the bread and butter of so many local families.Anything that can help these hearty professionals do better financially is welcome.Recent years have seen hardship upon hardship heaped on the backs of local fishermen.From hurricanes to oil spills, they have dealt with the challenges handed them by man and Mother Nature.They have faced rising costs and falling prices and even stood up to illegal trade practices by foreign nations that threatened to put them all out of business.And they persisted. And they succeeded. But any way they can find to improve their lot will be a good thing.These workshops should help give them an edge in the marketplace as they continue to struggle mightily against a host of factors that make their work hard and their livelihoods tenuous.The kickoff event was held in Houma and was an overwhelming success, drawing hundreds of professional fishermen interested in learning more about the things that can help them.Future events are planned for March 20 at Venice Harbor in Plaquemines Parish and April 9 in Cameron Parish. For information about the academy, go to louisianadirectseafood.com.This is a good way to learn more way to help yourself. Take part if you can. And look for more similar events in years to come. It is never too late to learn.

Editorials represent the opinions ofthe newspaper, not of any individual.